Council is encouraging residents to give their feedback on three important planning documents, which detail how the strategic aspirations of Council and the community can be achieved in terms of time, money, assets and people.
The draft Combined Delivery Program 2025/29 and Operational Plan 2025/26 (DPOP), draft Long Term Financial Plan 2025/26 (LTFP), and draft 2025/26 Fees and Charges are on public exhibition, and we are seeking community feedback from today, 13 May 2025.
Manager Corporate Governance & Performance David Galloway said the documents are designed to demonstrate how Council will turn community priorities into real action, year to year.
"They have been created based on the community's priorities and aspirations identified in Wagga Wagga 2050 - Community StrategicPlan (CSP), which was adopted by Council in April 2025 after 18 months of extensive community consultation and engagement," Mr Galloway said.
"Collectively, the documents show our income (rates, fees, charges and grant funding), what we're planning to deliver for the community by way of services, programs, and projects over the next four years, and how much it's going to cost to deliver them.
"They are designed to ensure your rates and charges are directed to the outcomes that best contribute towards Wagga Wagga's future as a vibrant, growing and sustainable regional city."
The DPOP also identifies Council's priorities for our region. These include a commitment to develop village-specific plans in 2026, which will be based on community feedback, along with initiatives to address the availability, affordability and diversity of housing and advocacy for the future of our airport, a bypass for the city and funding for asset maintenance.
In the 2025/26 operational budget, capital works projects and programs account for more than $113.2 million of the planned activities for the financial year, including an allocation of $53.9 million for roads across our local government area.
Major capital projects include the Lake Albert Pipeline and Precinct Renewal Project, along with continued upgrades at the Livestock Marketing Centre and the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre.
Roads-related funding comprises $40.4 million in one-off projects, including upgrade works on the Gregadoo Road, Pine Gully Road and Plumpton Road corridors, and the Mates Gully Road upgrade, as well as $13.5 million in recurrent funding for roads programs such as the Pavement Rehabilitation, Reseal and Gravel Resheeting programs.
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout is calling on the community to get involved in the consultation process.
"We want the community to read over the documents and share their feedback on what their Council is planning to deliver and on how their rates are being spent, so we can meet their expectations of Council over the next four years," Cr Tout said.
"You can access the documents and make a submission online or drop in at one of the pop-up information stalls or engagement sessions that will be held over the next four weeks.
"We will be visiting multiple areas across our city and suburbs and heading out to our villages to show the community these important documents, and to get their input."
The Integrated Planning and Reporting suite of documents will be on public exhibition for 28 days, concluding on Tuesday 10 June 2025.
To read the draft document, make a submission, and to view a list of where Council will be visiting for its engagement sessions, visit our Have Your Say website.
